Training Ground is the tenth episode in The Sky’s the Limit series. The video follows Billy O’Donnell as he inspires the next generation of mountain athletes, adventurers, and scholars. Debuted on Monday, February 6, 2017.

RIDGE Mountain Academy focuses on mountain sports, education, personal growth and life skills. RIDGE is designed for male and female student athletes ages 16 to 22 who are interested in expanding a passion for sports in the mountains. Located in Whitefish, Montana, RIDGE prepares student athletes of all abilities —beginner to elite— to develop physically, mentally and emotionally while strengthening their training, technical skill, and ability to reach their true potential.

RIDGE Semester
is a campus-based gap semester that offer customized plans to meet each student athlete's specific goals. Whether you are a gap year student seeking adventure and self-exploration, a high schooler looking to balance academics and skiing, a college student looking to better understand the mountain sports industry, or an elite athlete looking for one-on-one coaching, RIDGE can help you prepare for what comes next.

RIDGE College Credit
available through the University of Montana. Student Athletes can earn up to 9 college credits for RIDGE's Core-Curriculum during the Winter-Spring Semester.

RIDGE Accredited
by the Gap Year Association. Accreditation by the Gap Year Association represents a commitment to the highest standards in safety, quality, and integrity across the industry.

RIDGE Partners
with leaders in the mountain sports industry which allows our student athletes to train on cutting-edge equipment. These partnerships also assist in RIDGE student athletes learning about careers in the outdoor industry.

RIDGE featured in the press. Read up on RIDGE Mountain Academy in the December 2015 issue of Skiing Magazine, the November 2015 issue of Backcounty magazine, and a 2017 article in Snowboarder's Journal.

Four years ago, Billy O'Donnell set out to build a one-of-its-kind gap year academy designed to prepare students for leadership roles in the outdoor industry. In the years since, the school has been beset by maladies including deaths to staff members and flood damage, but it has managed to flourish in spite of it all.

Can you imagine a school that gets more done with deep, snowy days than it does without? An institution with students who use splitboards and backcountry beacons more often than they do calculators? Former pro skier Billy O'Donnell imagined such a school and made it a reality.